Write One Page Per Day – 184/365 – July 3, 2018

I pulled my lute in front of me and gently plucked the strings, letting the melody infuse the magic through his ears. I whispered a slow suggestion to open the door, letting the music carry it through the wood.

A second later the door popped open, the man looked confused as to why he had done it.

“You must be the hunter,” I said as I continued to play. “I am but a humble bard, collecting stories to share wherever I travel. How would you like to reclaim your title as the best hunter in this village by aiding me in following a wolf.”

“I tried before,” he said as his body swayed slightly, “I told you, I failed. I can’t track something that can jump over walls like ours and make off with sheep in the night.”

“I assure you, you can track what I saw. I think I may know what threw you off the last time.” I said before infusing the last of the bit of magic I had in me in my next sentence, “follow me, please.”

His feet began moving before he realized that he was listening to me. He was off his porch following me back to the sheep farm. I led him to where I had seen the large wolf and pointed to the tracks.

“That is the track of our quarry.” I said, putting my lute back over my shoulder. “Did you see this last time.”

“I didn’t know what it was.” He said, nodding his head, “I thought it looked like wolf tracks, but there aren’t wolves that size, are there?”

“This one is the size of a horse.” I said, “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“If I take this thing down I’ll be known throughout all of Krath!” he said. His eyes burned with desire for the hunt.